Set 50 years before the reimagined "Battlestar Galactica" series, themes involving artificial intelligence, corporate responsibility and a tragedy that impacts the Graystone and Adama families play out in the series premiere. Eric Stoltz; Esai Morales.

Monday, October 2

Battlestar: It's a tremendous opportunity and privilege to be involved in."

Olmos views his character as a bit of an everyman, a warrior nearing retirement who finds himself in a horrific situation.

"He is thrown into the most unusual situation that one can be thrown into - the salvation of the human species and the responsibility for that,' Olmos said. "It's this situation that makes this character comes to life."

Adama's own mortality and the dire situation he faces are constant.

"He's been able to weather the storm ... and now it's only going to get worse," Olmos said. "There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. Nothing is going to get better for these people. It's only going to get worse."

By the close of the fourth episode of the new season, the number of human survivors has dropped to less than 36,000, he said.

Co-star Bamber said the series is not afraid to explore dark themes or political and social issues.

"The series is controversial and thought-provoking about the world in which we live," the 33-year old Bamber said. "It's great drama - adult, grown-up, non-patronizing drama."

Based on the short-lived 1970s series of the same name, "Battlestar Galactica" has been a consistent ratings champ for the SciFi Channel and a critical darling of the media. This year, it won the prestigious Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting - the first time a science fiction series has been honored. However, its success has not been recognized with an Emmy Award.

"We are a sci-fi show, so we get marginalized," Bamber said. "We have to fight a lot of stereotypes."

Since the debut of "Battlestar Galactica" as a miniseries in 2003, Bamber has watched the character of Lee Adama grow from "a very adolescent starting point ... fixated on blaming his dad for what is wrong in his world to (in season 3) where they are now equals."

Since the series' inception, the Adamas have frequently been at odds in how to best protect the fleet. They are on a quest to find the fabled planet Earth, which they believe to be the last outpost of humanity.

"There is something elemental in the father-son dynamic," Bamber said.

Bamber likens the young Adama to Prince Hal in Shakespeare's "Henry IV," a role he played at Bristol's Old Vic prior to signing on to "Battlestar Galactica." The younger man lives in the shadow of his powerful father and acts rebelliously, while still yearning for his approval.

But unlike the relationship between Prince Hal and his royal father, the two Adamas have the opportunity to reconcile their differences, he added.

Time is limited, though.

"I don't think we will be a TV show that goes on forever," Bamber said. "We are dealing with a concrete story. It had a strong beginning and we are in the middle right now. I think the end is a certainty and hopefully it will be on our terms."